Preparing Students for the Direct Writing Assessment

Kristi Lee                                Lake Hazel Middle School                             Boise, ID

Objective:  Students will become familiar with the layout of the DWA prompts and learn to break the prompt into the writing process.

Time Frame:  Approximately two class periods

Materials: 

Transparency of a practice DWA prompt

Assumptions:  Students are familiar with the writing process.  Procedures for group work and peer editing are well established in the classroom.

Procedure:

Project a sample DWA prompt onto the overhead screen.  Explain that the first section of the prompt will give them basic instructions and that it is important that they follow them so that they may score well on the DWA.

Using modeling and guiding questions, lead the students into understanding how the prompt fits into the writing process.  They should determine that the Prompt Background and the Focus help them to create a brainstorm list.  The actual question or Writing Assignment portion of the prompt should lead them into the pre-write and help them to determine the structure for their expository essay.

Lead the class through the process with the sample DWA prompt.  Have a student volunteer record brainstorming ideas on the board.

Then discuss the Writing Assignment, and, as a class, determine what the essay’s structure should be.  If the brainstorm list is long or too diverse help the class to narrow the topic to fit the structure.  Put a basic outline on the board to model how the brainstorm ideas fit into the structure.

Explain that the next step is to add to the outline by adding supporting statements and details.

Using ideas volunteered by students, develop the outline further.

Divide the class into small groups (3-4).  Instruct each group to use the class outline to write the essay in rough draft form with proper paragraphing.

After allowing sufficient time for groups to write their rough drafts, have each group exchange rough drafts with another group.  Assign each group the task of editing the rough draft.

When the editing is complete, groups should get their original rough drafts back and re-write the essay using the peer editing as well as their own.

Follow-up/Assessment:  In a separate lesson, explain the DWA four-point grading rubric.  Then, put students back into their original groups, and give each group a second draft from the previous lesson (not their original or the one that they edited).  Guide the students through the process of assigning the essays a DWA score.